Coconut Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

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Coconut Lime Chicken Sweet Potato Curry — 🥥🍠😋 An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than a restaurant! Juicy chicken and tender sweet potatoes simmer in a lime-scented coconut milk sauce that tastes AMAZING! Healthy comfort food!

A pot of coconut lime chicken sweet potato curry topped with cilantro.

Easy Chicken Sweet Potato Curry Recipe 

I am a huge Thai curry fan and was craving something with Thai red curry paste and coconut milk, spiked with lime. This easy, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes really hit the spot.

There’s sweet Vidalia onion, sweet potatoes, and chicken that simmer in a mixture of creamy coconut milk that’s spiced with garlic, ginger, coriander, and Thai red curry paste before adding lime zest and lime juice.

Fresh cilantro and the lime elements really add a pop of tangy freshness and balance the warming flavors of the ginger, coriander, and red curry paste.

It’s hearty yet healthy comfort food that’s layered with Thai-inspired flavors. The lime-coconut milk sauce is so slurpable and keeps the chicken so juicy and moist. I used lite coconut milk but for an even richer and more luxurious sauce, use full fat.

While there’s natural sweetness from the sweet Vidalia onions, the buttery tender sweet potatoes, and the coconut milk, the lime zest and lime juice add the perfect acidic notes to balance the flavors.

With cold weather upon us, nothing is better than diving into this curry that’s ready faster than you can call for takeout and tastes just as good as any restaurant. It’s even naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

Feel free to serve it over or alongside rice or cauliflower rice. Basmati or jasmine rice are great with it. It’s the perfect cozy comfort food meal that can easily double as meal prep!

A pot of coconut Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry.

What’s in Chicken Sweet Potato Curry? 

To make this chicken, sweet potato, and coconut curry, you’ll need a handful of ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store including: 

  • Coconut oil
  • Onion
  • Chicken – I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts but chicken thighs will also work.
  • Garlic 
  • Ground ginger and coriander 
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Coconut milk – Use canned coconut milk, not liquid varieties. Full-fat coconut milk is best
  • Thai red curry paste
  • Lime juice and zest – Lemon juice and zest will also work
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Brown sugar 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Close up view of coconut lime chicken and sweet potato curry in a pot.

How to Make Chicken Sweet Potato Curry

This delicious curry comes together in a single skillet in under 30 minutes. Here’s an overview of the cooking process:

  1. Sauté the onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the chicken, and sear both sides.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, and coriander to the pan, cooking until fragrant. Then, add the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, Thai curry paste, salt, and pepper.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and boil. Then, continue to boil uncovered until the potatoes are tender.
  4. Add the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro, and adjust to taste.
  5. Serve the dish immediately over white rice or cauliflower rice. Pour extra sauce on top as desired. Enjoy!
Pinterest image for coconut lime chicken and sweet potato curry.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Pinterest image for coconut lime chicken & sweet potato curry with two images of the curry.

Recipe FAQs

Can I add extra veggies?

Of course! If you have extra veggies or beans you want to incorporate such as cauliflower, red bell pepper, tomatoes, edamame, or chickpeas, go for it. I would add them when you add the coconut milk.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Yes! Simply omit the chicken, and add a can of (drained) chickpeas in its place. 

Is this recipe spicy?

There is heat from the ginger and the Thai red curry paste, but I don’t consider this recipe spicy. If you don’t love spice, you can scale back the amount of curry paste you use. Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons, and work up from there.

How long do leftovers last?

This curry will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze chicken sweet potato curry?

Yes! Leftovers will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What’s the best way to reheat this dish?

You can warm individual portions in the microwave, or reheat a large amount in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add a splash of chicken broth as needed to thin it back out.

Pinterest image for coconut lime chicken & sweet potato curry with two images of the curry.

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4.75 from 31 votes

Coconut Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

By Averie Sunshine
🥥🍠😋 An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than a restaurant! Juicy chicken and tender sweet potatoes simmer in a lime-scented coconut milk sauce that tastes AMAZING! Healthy comfort food!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
  • 1 large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 extra-large sweet potato or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • one 15-ounce can coconut milk (I used lite
  • ¼ cup Thai red curry paste
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons lime zest, or to taste
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar, packed; optional and to taste
  • rice for serving, optional

Instructions 

  • To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
  • Add the chicken and cook to sear for about 2 minutes; flip often to ensure even searing.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
  • Add the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow mixture to boil, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until sweet potatoes are done.
  • Add the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, stir to combine, and taste.
  • Optionally or as desired, add brown sugar. I find the brown sugar balances the lime zest and juice and I enjoy some light sweetness but if you do not, omit it. Also, if desired, add additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
  • Serve immediately and optionally with rice.

Notes

Note: As time passed I noticed that the overall liquid volume reduced because it absorbed into the chicken and sweet potatoes so if it seems a bit soupy initially, mine was less soupy in time.
Storage: Curry will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Adapted from Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry, Thai Chicken Coconut Curry, and Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 445kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 823mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.75 from 31 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve been following this recipe for years, absolute favourite in our house! the flavour is something I want when I buy a curry but I never get! Thank you so much for this recipe, if you havenโ€™t tried it follow it exactly you wonโ€™t be disappointed! I always buy extra sweet potatoes and once chopped boil them for 5 mins before cooling them in a pan of cold water, then I freeze them in portions ready to throw in the next curry I make! It doesnโ€™t take much time off but every minute counts sometimes!

  2. 5 stars
    I enjoyed making this dish for lunch today! That lovely Citrus sets off the whole dish ๐Ÿ˜ YUMMY! I did add chili paste for heat, extra coconut milk and coriander. Perfection ๐Ÿ’ž

  3. 5 stars
    I enjoyed making this dish for lunch today! That lovely Citrus sets off the whole dish ๐Ÿ˜ YUMMY! I did add chili paste for heat, extra coconut milk and coriander. Perfection ๐Ÿ’ž

  4. 5 stars
    Wonderful, many of my favorite ingredients. I made another your of curry recipes awhile back great) but saw this one recently. 2nd time I am making this recipe & and now I had the coriander and juicier/zester limes! Last time it took a looong time for the sweet potato cubes to cook so I rubbed oil on the cubes and put them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes then turned the heat of for close to 5. They were done by or before the the onions and spices were cooked. Added the potatoes. Had cooked cubed chicken I had frozen and thawed so heated all thru with lid off.

  5. 5 stars
    Wonderful, many of my favorite ingredients. I made another your of curry recipes awhile back great) but saw this one recently. 2nd time I am making this recipe & and now I had the coriander and juicier/zester limes! Last time it took a looong time for the sweet potato cubes to cook so I rubbed oil on the cubes and put them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes then turned the heat of for close to 5. They were done by or before the the onions and spices were cooked. Added the potatoes. Had cooked cubed chicken I had frozen and thawed so heated all thru with lid off.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and Iโ€™m glad this was wonderful and that you came up with your own trick for the sweet potatoes to reduce the cooking time. For those, I always dice them quite small to help but your method worked great it sounds like. And you made use of your extra chicken too!

  6. 5 stars
    Oh
    My
    Goshhhhhhh!!!
    This was ahhhhhhhmAAAAAAAAzing!!!
    My husband and I enjoyed every bite!
    We are already looking forward to having this again ;)
    Thank you!

  7. 5 stars
    Oh
    My
    Goshhhhhhh!!!
    This was ahhhhhhhmAAAAAAAAzing!!!
    My husband and I enjoyed every bite!
    We are already looking forward to having this again ;)
    Thank you!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was amazing and that you’re already looking forward to having it again! Also check all the Related Recipes for other similar twists on this one in case you want to mix it up.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and Iโ€™m glad you could sip the broth all day long…me too!! Love it and so nice and comforting when it’s chilly out!

  8. The nutritional breakout seems wrong,
    19 calories a serving is clearly off. Could you please correct it ( coconut curry lime & sweet potato curry)
    Thanks

    1. It’s an automated program and not always perfect. You can look up the stats on every ingredient, add them up, and divide by the number of servings.

    1. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them and this one is a spinoff on many others, lots of similarites between them all, and I hope you like it if you try it!